An update!
Disclaimer: I Own Nothing
Also, I'm definitely killing someone off in this story.
Hermione stared ahead as the chatter around her soon faded into a muffled buzzing sound, the background noise to her thoughts. Her food was left untouched, friends forgotten as her mind ran rampant. Both of you mean the world to me, and I just wanted to keep both of you in my life, in whatever way possible.
Hermione pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth as she brought her hand up to her chin, Blaise's last words on a loop within her mind. He couldn't have possibly meant that? Could he? Hermione immediately shook her head. No, absolutely not. It was such a…preposterous idea! The three of them…together…exclusively… She shook her head again. He had to be lying, a last ditch effort to try and win her back…but…
Despite everything that had happened, Hermione knew Blaise. As much as she had denied it, she had grown to really care for him, and she knew him like the back of her hand. She knew when he was lying…and when he wasn't. Hermione clenched her jaw together, running her hand through her hair. Deep down, she knew that Blaise had been nothing but honest that night. So that begged the question;
What did this mean?
"Hermione!"
Hermione jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion on her thoughts. She glanced around to see her friends giving her strange looks, Lavender included who was currently attached to Ron.
"S-sorry. Um…what?"
"I was just telling them about the little Halloween get together that Ravenclaw is putting together for next week," Ginny said, gazing at Hermione with a frown, wondering if her friend was okay.
"Oh! Uh…that sounds like fun," Hermione said, mind already drifting.
"We're all going. You should come with us," Ron added.
Hermione blinked, lightly shaking her head.
"I don't-."
"Oh, come on, Granger! Do something fun for once," the curly haired blonde threw in.
Ginny threw Lavender a scathing look, one that the older girl missed while Hermione wondered if she should be offended by such a statement. Hermione sighed in defeat.
"Sure, why not," she said with a forced smile.
"That's the spirit!"
"Are you okay? You seem quite distracted today," Harry suddenly said, reaching towards her.
"That's an understatement, Harry. She's been distracted all week," Ron remarked, stuffing his face.
"What's the matter, Granger? Are you having boyfriend troubles?"
Ron choked on his food, making the most disgusting sound as he tried not to die while Harry's face simply drained of all color, staring at Lavender as if she were mental.
"What? I'm just saying… I know that look," she said with a shrug.
"I have to go," Hermione said with a sigh, suddenly very uncomfortable.
Ginny watched her go, a suspicious frown forming as Ron finally composed himself, looking at Harry with wide eyes.
"You don't think she's really hiding a boyfriend from us, do you?"
Harry simply said nothing, eyes narrowing as he watched the doors close behind her.
Hermione landed on her back with a gasp, the dampness from the ground sticking to her clothing. She forced herself to sit up, hands pressed into the dirt behind her as she panted. Her body ached, a result from being thrown about like a rag doll. She snatched her wand up, dirty and annoyed, despite the fact that it was her own fault, really.
She stood up with a huff, brushing her pants off with one hand, the other reaching back to rub her head. She was so-.
"You're distracted."
The husky voice sent chills down her frame, and she coldly looked up at him from beneath her lashes. He stood about three yards away from her, not a hair out of place, a result from her lack of concentration. They had been practicing for about an hour and she had yet to land one hit on him.
Draco likes you, Hermione.
She placed her hand on her hips, chest heaving as she glared at him. What a…child! If Blaise was indeed telling the truth, then that would mean that Malfoy had been acting like a five year old with a crush, only ten times worse. She fought the urge to scream. She detested both of them now more than ever.
She had been doing okay. She was moving on, slowly, but it was still happening. She had been determined to forget about the both of them and now… What right did Blaise have to tell her that? Why would he do this to her? Hadn't he already done enough?
"Granger…"
"What, Malfoy," she hissed.
He scoffed, hard eyes gazing at her as she looked up at him.
"What the fuck is your problem?"
She shook her head, walking back to stand directly in front of him.
"Nothing. Let's do it again," she said.
"I think we should take a break," he proposed.
"…and I disagree," she countered.
"Well, it's a good thing that I don't really give too much of a flying fuck about whether or not you agree," he responded.
Hermione fumed as he turned to walk away, heading towards his bag lying against a tree. She narrowed her eyes, and with a flick of her wand, Malfoy was twirling through the air. She took great satisfaction in the grunt that escaped his mouth as he harshly landed on his back.
"Like I said…I disagree…"
Malfoy pushed himself up onto his feet, glaring at her through the hair hanging in front of his eyes as he brushed himself off. Hermione threw up a Protego just before he aimed his wand at her. She backed up as he threw spell after spell, Hermione deflecting every one, her concentration perfectly intact now.
The distance between them began to decrease as he advanced on her, and Hermione found herself with nowhere else to go. One of his spells hit the grass beside her, momentarily distracting her, and she soon found herself without a wand. Before her mind could catch up with these turn of events, she found her back pressed against a tree and the tip of his wand at her throat.
Her chest heaved as he gazed down at her, and Hermione could not find it in herself to hold his gaze. She glanced away, missing the way his eyes narrowed. Malfoy stepped closer, his wand digging into her skin. His chest brushed hers as he towered over her, the scent of him floating around her.
Draco likes you, Hermione.
She closed her eyes, turning her head away.
"He told you…didn't he?"
Hermione swallowed, heart racing as she shook her head.
"I have no idea what you're-."
"Don't lie, Hermione. It's so unbecoming," he whispered.
She turned to face him, intending to chew him out, only to find that their lips were barely an inch apart.
"He told you," he repeated.
"What does it matter?"
"…and you're just going to pretend like nothing happened?"
Once again, she said;
"What does it matter? It changes nothing," she spat, ignoring the sour taste such words left in her mouth.
Malfoy's gaze grew heated as he trailed the tip of his wand down her shirt, eyes following its path.
"I'm sorry. Is that what you wanted to hear, that I acted like a complete wanker? That I acted like a toddler with a crush?"
"I don't want your insincere apology. I don't want anything from you," she quietly hissed, reaching out to shove him away.
His hands were faster, catching her wrists and pinning them against the tree beside her head. His eyes bore into hers as he leaned in, eyes drinking her in.
"We both know that's not true. What did I just say about lying, Hermione?"
"I already told you to stop calling me that," she breathed, lips trembling.
"Why?"
He brushed his nose against hers.
"…because I don't like it," she whispered.
"Why don't I believe that?"
He pressed his hips against her own, pinning her lower half to the tree as his mouth parted, his bottom lip brushing against her top one. Hermione's eyelashes fluttered as he ground his hips against hers, throat closing up.
"Malfoy…"
"Yes?"
Hermione swallowed, suddenly shaking her head and shoving against him. She ran towards her wand, picking it up from its place on the ground.
"Hermione!"
"No!"
She spun around, hair flying and eyes wild.
"You treated me like crap, Malfoy. I don't care if it was your twisted way of coping with your hidden feelings for me or whatever. You were so cruel to me. Some of the things you said, and did…" she shook her head "…You made me feel like dirt, and you still got what you wanted in the end."
Malfoy frowned.
"What Blaise told me changes nothing. I don't have to do a damn thing about it because neither of you deserve that. I shouldn't even have to explain myself to you."
Malfoy's clenched his jaw, eyes hardening as she continued.
"I don't care if you've never felt like this about another girl. I don't care. You don't get to treat people like scum and still have everything work out in your favor," she harshly said, turning away from him.
She had barely taken two steps when there was suddenly a harsh tug on her arm. Her world was spinning and her hand slapped against his chest as his lips descended over her own. She gasped in surprise, eyes widening as one of his hands came up to cradle the back of her head.
Hermione's fingers clutched at his shirt as he tilted her head to the side, his tongue seeking out her own, eliciting an involuntary moan from her. Her heart raced as his other hand gripped her waist, pulling her closer so that her chest was flush with his. Hermione found herself deepening the kiss and sighed when he pulled away, teeth lightly biting her bottom lip as he did so.
They stared at one another, before Hermione blinked, bringing her fingers up to her mouth. She shakily pushed away from him, springing away like a bat out of hell.
"Hermione, are you sure that everything is okay? Zabini hasn't been bothering you, has he?"
Hermione debated saying anything to Ginny. About what Blaise had told her and about the kiss. However, even she herself didn't know what was going on. While she understood Blaise's twisted logic, that definitely didn't make it right.
"Hermione?"
She turned to face Ginny with a small smile.
"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just…thinking about this Daphne situation," she lied.
Ginny exhaled with a nod.
"Yeah. I can't…even imagine what that must be like. Imagine how desperate she really is to have come to you of all people," Ginny agreed.
"I hope that…that I can help her," Hermione said.
"You can, and you will. If anybody can, it's you," Ginny said, resting her hand on Hermione's shoulder.
"…but what if I can't? I'm just one person, and if I can't help her…who knows what could happen to her," Hermione wondered, voicing her insecurities.
"Hermione, I'm here. Don't forget that, and if it comes down to it, we can always tell Dumbledore," Ginny reassured.
"I hope that you're right in thinking that not telling him might be for the best, right now…"
Ginny sighed, wanting to change the subject in order to cheer Hermione up a bit.
"So…you know Slughorn's Christmas Party?"
Hermione nodded, noting that it was roughly two months away.
"I was thinking of inviting Dean," Ginny continued.
"That's…great," Hermione said with a frown.
Ginny tilted her head to the side.
"Why do I get the feeling that you don't really mean that?"
"No, I do. It's just that…you and Dean have been fighting so much lately, and I thought that you and Harry were getting on rather well," Hermione voiced.
Ginny sighed, looking out onto the school grounds.
"Harry and me…it's never going to happen, Hermione."
Hermione's frown deepened.
"Why not? I thought… Ginny, you've practically loved him since you first laid eyes on him," Hermione said.
"Exactly! It was…childish. I basically worshipped him, and that's not healthy. Not to mention that he was pretty much a hero to me. I loved the idea of him, and within the past year I've realized that Harry is just a boy like any other boy. I put him up on this…pedestal, and that wasn't right. Maybe I'll fall in love with him again one day, the real him, but until then…he's just a really good friend," she said with a shrug.
Hermione looked down with a nod, trying hard not to think about how Harry had been looking at Ginny as of late.
Hermione was on her way back from the library, headed for the common room, when a flurry of teachers ran past her. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, they were heading in the same direction as her. Luckily enough, there didn't seem to be many other students around, maybe two or three.
Those few students watched in fright, along with herself, as the teachers crowded around a prone figure on the floor. It was three of them, one of them Professor McGonagall as they tended to the student. When one of them moved, Hermione gasped, recognizing McLaggen.
Hermione stepped closer, clutching her bags as she raked her eyes over him. His pristine white shirt was smeared with a growing red stain originating from his chest. He coughed, a wet sound that indicated internal bleeding. Hermione pressed her hand to her mouth as McGonagall levitated him, no doubt to the infirmary, not paying Hermione or the other few students mind.
Hermione swallowed, wondering what on earth could have happened to him, when a hand came to rest on the small of her back. Hermione recognized his cologne, and turned to look at him out of the corner of her eye.
"I sure hope that he knows how to take a hint…"
Her eyes widened as a Malfoy like smirk fell over Blaise's lips.
"I'd hate for him to wind up dead."
Bloop. Let me know what you think!